


Aziraphale's Path

by Lady of Prompts (Aethelflaed)



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: ButterOmens, Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley Takes Care of Aziraphale (Good Omens), Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Aziraphale (Good Omens), M/M, Nightmares, Short, Snow, Soft Crowley (Good Omens), Suggestions of PTSD, suggestions of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23111779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aethelflaed/pseuds/Lady%20of%20Prompts
Summary: Many years in the future, Heaven and Hell come for them.Aziraphale returns home too late. Is Crowley gone forever?[This story was written as part of the ButterOmens event on Tumblr, a chain of fanworks starting with a single story. Please see start notes for the previous stories, as this one is intended as the conclusion!]
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 116





	Aziraphale's Path

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Snow Angel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080309) by [HolyCatsAndRabbits](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyCatsAndRabbits/pseuds/HolyCatsAndRabbits). 



> Written as part of a [ButterOmens](https://n0nb1narydemon.tumblr.com/post/611808756218707968) chain started by HolyCatsAndRabbits. Follow the link for instructions, but the event is a cross between a "round robin" and a "draw this in your own style" for all kinds of fanworks. All content creators are invited to join in!
> 
> The full relevant chain (and previous portions of this story) can be found [here.](https://aethelflaedladyofmercia.tumblr.com/post/612296557530857472/butteromens-submission)
> 
> The start of this chain and original inspiration is ["Snow Angel"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080309) by HolyCatsAndRabbits, a story of Crowley and his nightmares.
> 
> This was expanded upon by lyricwritesprose in ["The Path From Fire to Snow"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080645) by retelling from Aziraphale's perspective and adding essential background.
> 
> Next came WitchingWhovian's ["A Path Back Home"](https://witchingwhovian.tumblr.com/post/612149820690432000/butteromens-submission), detailing Crowley's recovery with Aziraphale's help.
> 
> Finally, my fic, ["Aziraphale's Path"](https://aethelflaedladyofmercia.tumblr.com/post/612296557530857472/butteromens-submission) was added as an epilogue to "A Path Back Home."
> 
> [Edit] Not so finally! JoyAndOtherStories has added another fic, ["Finding the Path Again,"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150650) which retells this dream from Crowley's POV. Absolutely beautiful! And the chain keeps growing!

It was many years later when Heaven and Hell came for them again.

Aziraphale came home to find their cottage destroyed, the garden ripped apart, Crowley gone, no sign except a few black feathers.

He sat in the rain, mud slowly seeping into his white trousers, kneeling beside the single tulip that had somehow survived, brilliant yellow in the endless brown.

He couldn’t scream. Couldn’t cry. Couldn’t move. Could only sit there staring at the flower, at the feather between his fingers, as drops of rain slid down his cheeks.

He’d failed. He should have seen the signs. Should have come back sooner. Should have…should have…should have…

A single snowflake drifted down, landing in the cup of the tulip. Then another. Another.

“Well. Not as dramatic without flames, but I guess it still works,” said a familiar voice.

Aziraphale could barely bring himself to look up. It couldn’t be real. Crowley couldn’t actually be standing before him, black robes and copper curls, eyes fully serpentine, as he’d looked on the Wall of Eden. He’d simply gone mad.

“Come on, Angel. Time for that walk, yeah?”

Aziraphale stared at the offered hand for a long time, then shook his head. “I can’t Crowley. They…they took you. You died. I…I’m so sorry…”

“No, Aziraphale, no.” He sat down in a rush, hands cupping the angel’s face, thumbs brushing away the rain. It seemed to have turned to snow everywhere except around his eyes. “I didn’t die. They took me but…you found me. You _saved_ me. Like you always do.”

“Don’t be absurd,” he told the hallucination, his eyes still tracing over the feather again and again. “I can’t save you. I’m useless. Stupid. Not even fit to call myself an angel. I…Crowley, I’m lost without you.”

“Bless it, Angel, _look at me."_ His gaze finally wandered up. There should have been something frightening about those eyes, but he could never be afraid of Crowley. “I’m _fine._ This…all this already happened. It’s just a dream. I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you that yet, but you’re dreaming. Can’t you feel my arms around you?”

He thought he felt _something,_ but… “I don’t sleep. I never dream.”

“Yeah, well, you started after the attack. I thought you were just tired, and since you wouldn’t _say_ anything…never mind, I’m here now. And I’m going to stay with you until you’re better. I promise.”

All around them, the snow was piling up. Turning the scene of devastation into something serene, beautiful. When Crowley stood up, Aziraphale let himself be pulled to his feet.

“I found you?”

“Yes. You did.” Crowley’s hand wrapped around his, and he could feel the warmth of it. “And I found you. And we’re going for a nice walk now, and then we’re going home.”

“I…I don’t think I remember the way.”

“Don’t worry.” Crowley reached over and plucked the feather from his hand, let it drift away on the wind. When he looked back, it was with a gentle, patient smile. “You showed me, all those years ago. I’ll help you find it again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, please go check out the other works in the ButterOmens chain (links at the top of the page) -- especially JoyAndOtherStories's retelling, ["Finding the Path Again."](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150650) And feel free to contribute your own art or story -- just remember to tag the original creator on Tumblr or use the "inspired by" checkbox on AO3!
> 
> Thanks to [n0nb1narydemon](https://n0nb1narydemon.tumblr.com/) and [acuteangleaziraphale](https://acuteangleaziraphale.tumblr.com/) for creating the concept of ButterOmens!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Finding the Path Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150650) by [JoyAndOtherStories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoyAndOtherStories/pseuds/JoyAndOtherStories)




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